US and Russia Deny Stephen Hubbard Release Tied to Blogger Swap
- Russia and the United States have both denied that the release of 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard from Russian custody was tied to the brief detention of a high-profile...
- schoolteacher held in Russia since 2022, returned home following what the Kremlin described as a humanitarian goodwill gesture.
- Speculation had surfaced among observers, including a former U.S.
Russia and the United States have both denied that the release of 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard from Russian custody was tied to the brief detention of a high-profile Russian war blogger in Montenegro.
Hubbard, a retired U.S. schoolteacher held in Russia since 2022, returned home following what the Kremlin described as a humanitarian goodwill gesture. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to free Hubbard and that Moscow had not requested anything in return.
Denial of a Prisoner Swap for a War Blogger
Speculation had surfaced among observers, including a former U.S. ambassador, that Hubbard’s release might be connected to the October 9 case of Mikhail Zvinchuk. Zvinchuk is a former Russian Defence Ministry official and the director of Rybar, a Russian media organization accused by Washington of election interference and spreading false narratives.
US citizen Stephen Hubbard has been freed from a Russian prison, four years after being convicted of being a mercenary for Ukraine, a claim he denies. The 74-year-old’s release coincided with US envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Russia to try and get Moscow to rejoin peace talks. pic.twitter.com/PVR8A6FJAB
Zvinchuk was briefly detained in Montenegro alongside three other Russians on charges of spreading Russian influence before being expelled from the country. A State Department spokesperson firmly rejected any link between the two events, telling reporters that the Russian government made a unilateral decision to release Hubbard without any concessions or exchanges.
This case had no connection to Stephen Hubbard’s release. The Russian government made the unilateral decision to release Mr. Hubbard. Mr. Hubbard’s release was not part of an exchange, and no other concessions were provided.
State Department spokesperson
Kremlin Confirms Unilateral Release
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reinforced the official position when asked about the matter by reporters, dismissing the suggestion of a swap with a direct statement. That’s not right,
Peskov said regarding claims that Hubbard was traded for Zvinchuk.
The State Department declined to comment on whether Washington played a role in Zvinchuk’s detention in Montenegro or if it requested his extradition. Zvinchuk’s media organization, Rybar, has previously been targeted by U.S. and British authorities over accusations of managing social media channels designed to stoke political divisions in the West.